Zomato Removes Analogue Dairy Dishes From Menus
Zomato Removes Analogue Dairy Dishes As Food Safety Scrutiny Grows Across India
Zomato has begun removing dishes containing analogue dairy products from its food delivery platform, placing new responsibility on restaurants to check what goes into the food they sell.
The company said on 31 August that dishes declared by restaurant partners to contain analogue dairy have been delisted with immediate effect. Restaurants that continue to use such ingredients have been told to either replace them with natural dairy products or remove the affected dishes from their menus. Those that fail to comply may be removed from Zomato.
The decision comes at a time when food safety authorities in several parts of India are taking stronger action against dairy substitutes that are sold or used in ways that may confuse customers.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been dealing with the issue for several years. Under Indian food regulations, a dairy analogue is a product in which ingredients that do not come from milk replace some or all of the milk components. The finished product can look, taste or behave like a milk product, but it is not legally treated as a milk or dairy product.
This distinction matters because products such as paneer and cheese are often expected by customers to be made from milk. FSSAI has said that food businesses must not present non-dairy products as genuine dairy products.
In April 2026, FSSAI’s western region issued a public notice specifically dealing with cheese analogues. It said cheese analogues could not be sold as paneer and instructed food service businesses to train procurement teams and chefs to prevent such products from being used under the name paneer. Restaurants were also told to disclose the use of cheese analogues on menus or display boards where applicable.
The regulator has also called for greater checking of raw materials. Food businesses have been instructed to verify ingredients, keep records of procurement and testing, and ensure that products are correctly described.
Zomato’s new rule adds another layer of checks because restaurants must now examine the ingredients used in dishes before listing them on the platform. The company has asked restaurant partners to review supplier labels and ingredient declarations so that the information shown to customers matches what is actually being used in the kitchen.
For restaurants, the immediate options are clear. They can change to natural dairy ingredients, remove dishes containing analogue dairy or risk being delisted from the platform.
The issue has gained greater attention in recent months. Maharashtra ordered a one-year ban in August on the production, storage, distribution and sale of analogue or non-dairy paneer. The order also covers hotels, restaurants, caterers, cloud kitchens and other food businesses that use or serve the product. State laboratory testing of 308 paneer samples collected between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 found 109 non-compliant samples, including 79 classified as sub-standard and 30 as unsafe.
Gujarat has also taken action against unstandardised analogue dairy products. In August, the state announced restrictions covering analogue paneer, cheese and butter, with officials warning that businesses could face strong enforcement action. The move followed inspections and testing of products made with non-dairy ingredients.
FSSAI’s own material shows why the subject is more complicated than simply calling every dairy substitute illegal. Some analogue products are recognised within the regulatory framework. Examples include frozen desserts and mixed fat spreads, which have specified standards. The regulator’s rules also make clear that analogues are not recognised as ordinary dairy products.
The central concern is therefore accurate naming and proper use. A customer ordering paneer should be able to know whether the ingredient is genuine paneer or a substitute. The same principle applies to cheese and other dairy-based ingredients.
For Zomato, the scale of its restaurant network makes the policy significant. Eternal, Zomato’s parent company, reported more than 300,000 average monthly active food delivery restaurant partners on Zomato in the first quarter of financial year 2026-27. The platform also reported more than 27 million average monthly transacting customers during the same quarter.
That means changes to menu rules can affect a large number of restaurants and customers at the same time. It also places greater importance on the information supplied by restaurants and their ingredient vendors.
Aditya Mangla, CEO of Zomato, said: “At Zomato, our core mission is better food for more people, and that means safeguarding customer health and upholding clear standards for what’s listed and served by our restaurant partners. This policy reflects that commitment, one we’re taking together with partners who share it.”
The latest move does not replace the role of food regulators. State authorities and FSSAI remain responsible for testing, inspections and enforcement under food safety laws. Zomato’s policy instead gives the platform its own mechanism for dealing with restaurant listings that do not meet its requirements.
For customers, the practical change is simple: dishes declared by restaurants as containing analogue dairy should no longer appear on Zomato. For restaurants, the new rule means checking supplier information more carefully and making sure menu descriptions accurately reflect the ingredients used in their kitchens.
